On 30 Jun 2003 15:17:03 -0700, interested2learn@hotmail.com (I2l)
dijo:
It wasn't obvious from your post where you're from, so I'm assuming
you're from the U.S.
>My girlfriend and I are planning thinking about going to Costa Rica
>for a couple of weeks. Could anyone help us with some info:
>
>* How safe is it? Do we have to be in the tourist areas to be safe, or
>can we wonder around. Are there places to avoid? Is it high/low crime
>area?
Overall the crime rate in Costa Rica is quite a bit lower than in the
U.S. Personally, you will be much safer. However, certain crimes are
higher, notably crimes against property. Petty theft is common. Leave
really valuable items at home and keep your eyes on anything you bring
with you.
Having said that, there are a few areas in San Jose where you probably
wouldn't want to be walking alone at night. But these areas are as
obvious as a similar area in the U.S. would be -- rundown buildings,
etc.
>* We are going during the rainy season. What should we expect: is it
>raining all day, and we have to have a safety boat :) or is it
>manageable, raining only five hours a day. Can we walk/hike during
>rain?
>* What kind of weather should we expect in the end of July start of
>August?
July-August is the peak of the rainy season. It will rain every
afternoon for an average of two hours. Sometimes it might be just half
an hour, other times it might be five or six hours. You can see the
dark clouds coming well in advance, so there is no need to get caught
in the rain. When it rains it is beyond torrential. You can't see
across the street the rain is so heavy. U.S. streets have curbs and a
gutter. In Costa Rica the street ends about a meter before the curb,
which is the sidewalk edge of the gutter. The gutter is half a meter
deep to carry the runoff. At the intersections there is a little
bridge for pedestrians to cross the gutter from the street up to the
sidewalk. Drivers can't really park next to the curb because their
wheels would be down in the ditch. However, within half an hour after
the rain ends the runoff is clear and you can go back out again. The
rain is warm and no one is afraid of it as in the U.S. Just wear
cotton clothes.
The natives just arrange their days so that all outdoor activity is
completed in the morning.
>* Should we take Travelers Checks or cache? Do our credit card work
>there? Is credit theft a problem? How easy is it go get cache once in
>the country?
Travelers checks in U.S. dollars is the easiest to negotiate. There
are also ATMs, but I've never used them. Best place to change money is
at a bank, but there are always lines, sometimes out the front door
and down the street. The foreign banks in San Jose are much better. I
use ScotiaBank and the service is excellent. When you cash a travelers
check be prepared for the third degree. They will compare your
signature to the first signature on the check and against your
passport, and probably want more ID as well. If even one little loop
in a letter looks different they will want you to sign it a second
time. They are really paranoid about check fraud.
>* Any vaccines we need to take (have had Hep A, Typhoid vaccine before
>going to China last year).
You'll be fine.
>* Should we reserve the logging in advance, or will there be people
>waiting for us in the airport offering place to live? Do we have to
>have the first night place planned and reserved? Is logging a problem,
>especially for two students traveling on student budget?
Arrange your lodging in advance. Yes, there will be dozens of taxis at
the airport. But if you don't tell you where you want to go they will
take you to the most expensive hotel in town. It's kind of hard to
negotiate when you're standing on the sidwalk with all your luggage
worrying about where you're going to sleep that night. And for some
reason all the flights seem to arrive at night. Also, the airport is
quite a way out of town, making it hard to shop around.
>* Speaking of which: we are traveling on student budget, probably
>taking busses, eating cheap, etc. What kind of money should we
>allocate per day in Costa Rica?
Lodging is not that cheap, compared to the U.S. A decent but
inexpensive place will cost $25-$30 a night. You can find cheaper if
you shop around, but it's hard to do online because the small places
don't have a web presence. There are a lot of small mom and pop places
that are excellent bargains.
However, other things can be much cheaper. Buses are the best deal in
the country -- you can go all over for a pittance. Even taxis are
cheap compared to the U.S. -- but be sure they use the "marķa," which
means the meter. Car rentals, however, are very high. But you won't
need them because public transportation goes everywhere.
Food will cost about half as much as in the U.S. If you can find
lodging with a kitchette that may be the cheapest arrangement for you.
Just as in the U.S., restaurant meals are more expensive than cooking
it yourself.
Costa Rica has an outrageous import duty on just about everything.
Thus, if you want a product manufactured in the U.S., it will cost
even more than in the U.S. But there is almost always a home-grown
equivalent that costs 1/4 as much.
I'm sure you'll have a great time. Don't worry, the people are very
friendly and courteous. Even if you use atrocious Spanish on them they
will smile and help whenever possible. And there is no anti-American
feeling as you find in some other countries. Good luck!
--
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